Fugitive who faces multiple charges captured, arrested

A fugitive who has remained at large since early September after law enforcement officials say he dragged a Pulaski County sheriff’s deputy down a road and led other deputies on a high-speed chase was captured and arrested late last week.

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By Paul Hackbarth

The Daily Guide - Waynesville, MO

By Paul Hackbarth

Posted Oct. 3, 2013 at 2:59 PM

By Paul Hackbarth

Posted Oct. 3, 2013 at 2:59 PM

WESCO, Mo.

A fugitive who has remained at large since early September after law enforcement officials say he dragged a Pulaski County sheriff’s deputy down a road and led other deputies on a high-speed chase was captured and arrested late last week.

An off-duty Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper spotted the fugitive, David Cole Nash, 28, of Rolla, in Wesco, an unincorporated community in southwestern Crawford County, according to Sgt. Dan Crain, public information officer with the highway patrol.

Nash was arrested without incident, Crain said.

According to a patrol incident report, Nash was arrested on the following charges: felony theft of a motor vehicle; felony possession of a controlled substance - crystal methamphetamine; felony possession of drug paraphernalia; four felony warrants from Pulaski County for resisting arrest, resisting an officer, theft of a motor vehicle and second-degree domestic assault; a felony warrant from Dent County for resisting arrest; and felony warrants from Phelps County for failure to appear on domestic assault, first-degree property damage and theft.

The incident report stated he was placed in the Crawford County Jail.

Nash was last seen Sept. 2 after a high-speed pursuit in which Nash was able to elude authorities by driving down a trail and escaping on foot into a heavily wooded area in Phelps County.

Earlier that day, Pulaski County sheriff’s deputy had received information that Nash was staying at a motel in the Interstate 44 and Highway 28 area in Pulaski County. They located Nash driving a Jeep sports utility vehicle in that area ad stopped him.

During the traffic stop, Nash attempted to offer false identification to deputies, but when that failed, he was ordered out of the vehicle, according to Pulaski County Sheriff Ronald Long.

That was when Nash accelerated, Long said, and dragged a deputy down the road a short distance, causing the deputy injuries to his arm and leg.